The Stray

Chapter 1

"There are growing concerns over Amanda, who was last seen at approximately 3:42pm, yesterday afternoon. If you have any infoma-"

"That's the third one this month," I shuddered, turning off the TV. There was no point even turning it on recently, it was always about a new unfortunate person who'd gone missing. TV, newspapers, social media; it was everywhere, there was no escaping it.

"Not another one?" My Dad asked, as he walked through the door, chucking his briefcase onto the kitchen counter and slumping onto sofa next to me.

"I'm afraid so." My Mum called from the kitchen, where she was unpacking bags of grocceries.

"On the way home, I saw Mrs Greenhall pinning 'missing' posters, to lampposts." My Dad sighed and slumped further into the sofa.

"Poor family, it's just awful isn't it?" My mum walked over to where we sat, her face dropping into a frown.

"Posters? Jenny wasn't a cat?" I questioned. Both my parents turned to me, giving disapproving looks.

"Matthew! Don't be so disrespectful!" My dad said sternly.

"Poor Mrs Greenhall"s probably at her wit's end- we all are. And you never know, it may help someone who knows something come forward and put an end to this misery." My Mum continued.

"I doubt it, I mean how many people have going missing in the past six months? What around like 10? Maybe more? For one small neighbourhood where nothing happens, that's a lot. And how many of them have been found? None. I'm sorry to dampen your hopes and my sympathies go out to Mrs Greenhall and everyone else, but it doesn't seem very likely that anyone is coming back."

There was a pause for a moment as my parents didn't know what to say. What I said was true though, over 10 people had gone missing from our neighbourhood in the last few months and it was probably highly unlikely they would be found again. No matter what they say, they couldn't change that.

"We can still hope." My Mum kept trying to reassure me each time someone else went missing, but it had got to the point where I think she was just trying to reassure herself.

"It's them lot over there I feel sorry for." I carried on, pointing out of the front window to the house across the street where a new family had just moved in a few days ago. "They have no idea what they've just moved into, I wouldn't bother unpacking if I were them, I'd just get the hell outta here as fast as I could."

"I hope you're going to be welcoming to their daughter at school Matthew, what was her name again, was it Violet?" My Mum asked, leaning on the back of the sofa, while Dad reached to the coffee table to grab a newspaper before opening it out and reading it.

"I'm always welcoming." I smirked.

From behind the newspaper I heard Dad scoff.

"Charming, thanks Dad." I said sarcastically, standing up from the sofa, heading towards the door.

"Matthew just be careful okay? I don't want to come home one day to find your name on the news." Mum warned, her furrowing her brow with worry.